July 24, 2024

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Big Ten Conference commissioner Tony Petitti offers a rather different vibe in football preseason media days than some of his power conference counterparts. … Salt Lake City is officially awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics, but with a significant condition. … Indianapolis continues to have very big MLS dreams. … Plus: More on Colin Kaepernick, the Texans, Rolex, and Harvard.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Big Ten Commish: Why Staying Put With 18 Members Is Plenty—for Now [[link removed]]

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Between conference realignment and the integration of name, image, and likeness, college football has been a whirlwind over the last few years. But the Big Ten—which has been in the middle of the ruckus given its addition of four new schools—is finally pumping the brakes on further expansion.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti (above) said Tuesday, the first day of the conference’s media days, that he does not intend for the conference to expand beyond its current crop.

“We’re focused on the 18 right now,” Petitti said. “A lot of work had been done to integrate USC and UCLA and we started that work over when we added Oregon and Washington, so I think we’re really comfortable where we are. You’ve got to get this conference right, and that’s where our focus is.”

Petitti’s stance supports reports that the Big Ten is not an option for Clemson and Florida State, who are embroiled [[link removed]] in lawsuits with the ACC. Officials from Clemson have said [[link removed]] they do not intend to leave the ACC—assuming the league survives—but FSU is looking at its options. The SEC is also reportedly [[link removed]] not an option for FSU, so the Big 12 could end up as its best alternative.

Keeping the Title Game in Indy

Petitti also told reporters that despite the addition of several West Coast teams, the Big Ten conference championship game will continue to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis until 2028.

The game has been played in Indianapolis since its inception in 2011.

“We’re really comfortable with the decision to stay with football here in Indianapolis in the next four seasons,” Petitti told reporters. “We think it’s the right thing to do.” However, he immediately followed up by referencing the benefits of moving the championship game down the line.

“Having said that, I think you’ll begin to see us expand,” Petitti said. “I think it’s important to make sure that markets around the country get to experience Big Ten championships. It’s a really good way to connect the conference. I think over time you’ll start to see the geographic footprint expand.”

Given the addition of the new teams, it appears Petitti does not want to rock the boat even further by moving the title game. But four more years in Indianapolis gives him the leeway to integrate the new West Coast teams and appease the incumbents before moving the game.

A Rosy Future

The Rose Bowl is another major event that seemed to be in flux given conference realignment and the expanded College Football Playoff—but the bowl’s officials say it looks as though the game will be able to keep its place on New Year’s Day, according to ESPN [[link removed]].

Rose Bowl management committee chair Laura Farber also spoke on the first day of Big Ten media days and said it’s “imperative” they keep the Jan. 1 date for the game and ideally even the 5 p.m. ET kickoff time.

“We don’t know when there will be a long-form agreement,” Farber said. “We’re hopeful it will be sooner than later, but that depends on when the CFP has everything ready to go.”

The Rose Bowl has evolved from a matchup between the winners of the Big Ten and Pac-12 into a CFP semifinal game, and it will be a CFP quarterfinal game for the next two years. It’s unclear what the format of the game will be starting in 2026.

Salt Lake City’s Olympic Host Deal Includes Last-Minute Doping Clause [[link removed]]

Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

Even in an Olympics hosting decision thought to be entirely without drama, there were still complications.

The International Olympic Committee selected [[link removed]] Salt Lake City early Wednesday to host the 2034 Winter Olympics, confirming a decision that has been many months [[link removed]] in the making, and one without any rival bid. The selection also amplifies Utah’s status [[link removed]] as a fast-rising sports market, one recently burnished by the intense fan reaction [[link removed]] to the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club and a deal [[link removed]] to remake the Delta Center and the area around it. Salt Lake City last hosted the Olympics in 2002, and it has since boosted its regional sports facilities in an effort to become a more permanent part of the host city rotation for the Games.

But the IOC amended its host contract with the Salt Lake City bid committee to mandate that the “supreme authority” of the World Anti-Doping Agency is upheld, and that the IOC has the ability to “terminate” the 2034 hosting award if that requirement isn’t met.

The clause was added just minutes before an 83–6 vote by the IOC to confirm the 2034 award to Salt Lake City.

Inside Politics

The doping debate stems from several interrelated issues. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has been highly critical of a prior case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart medication before the 2021 Tokyo Games. WADA accepted Chinese explanations that the test results were affected by contaminated food. Thirteen of the athletes went on to compete in Tokyo and won multiple medals, including three golds, and some are set to return for the Paris Olympics.

But U.S. officials are still investigating the matter, and they have the further weight of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, a law passed in 2021 that permits the FBI and other federal agencies to prosecute international doping conspiracies and gives those authorities wide jurisdiction over enforcement.

The awarding of the 2034 Olympics to Salt Lake City, thus, involves bid officials and local organizers pledging to lobby Congress and the White House to shut down the federal probe.

Means to an End

Utah officials acknowledged and accepted the altered terms of their hosting award.

“We agree that if the United States does not support or violates the World Anti-Doping [Agency’s] rules, that they can withdraw the Games from us and from the United States,” Gov. Spencer Cox said. “That was the only way that we could guarantee that we would get the Games.”

But that stance, and more specifically the pressure from the IOC, has prompted further vitriol from USADA.

“It is shocking to see the IOC itself stooping to threats in an apparent effort to silence those seeking answers to what are now known as facts,” said USADA CEO Travis Tygart in a statement. “It seems more apparent than ever that WADA violated the rules and needs accountability and reform to truly be the global watchdog that clean athletes need. Today’s demonstration further showed that as it stands today, WADA is just a sport lapdog.”

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LOUD AND CLEAR Hitting the Gas in Indy

The Indianapolis Star

“We would like that [expansion] process to be as accelerated as we can reasonably make it.”

—Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett (above), who traveled to Columbus for MLS All-Star Game events this week to make a further pitch to land a team in the league. MLS will get its 30th franchise with San Diego FC starting play next year, and it hasn’t yet begun any formal process toward further expansion. But should that happen, Indiana officials said a formal application from Indianapolis could arrive before the end of the year. Hogsett and other state officials, meanwhile, are pursuing public funding for a soccer-specific stadium in the city. “My sense is [current MLS owners] are aware of Indianapolis’s interest and know we have a compelling story to tell,” Hogsett said.

Despite the city’s strong sports presence, led by the NFL’s Colts, NBA’s Pacers, and WNBA’s Fever, the MLS ambitions in Indianapolis might need to overcome concerns about adding to the existing Midwest cluster of teams in Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, and St. Louis.

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Colin Kaepernick ⬆ The former NFL quarterback (above) continues to build his empire outside of football as he launches an AI company that provides storytelling tools to budding creators. The company, Lumi Story AI, has received backing from Seven Seven Six, the VC firm backed by Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian. The start-up has raised $4 million in seed funding.

Texans ⬆ The hype is real in Houston as the team sold out of season tickets before its opening game for the first time since 2019, according to the Houston Chronicle [[link removed]]. The Texans had a surprising run into the playoffs last season—and won their wild-card matchup against the Browns—led by rookies C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. With the additions of Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter as well as the continued development of Stroud and Anderson under coach DeMeco Ryans, fans may be expecting a much deeper playoff push.

Rolex ⬇ The Swiss luxury watch brand is in jeopardy of losing its decade-long partnership with Formula One as Tag Heuer, another Swiss brand, could take over, according to Bloomberg [[link removed]]. Rolex, whose green and gold banners decorate many F1 races, is paying “tens of millions” annually to F1 for the partnership, but Tag Heuer, owned by French conglomerate LVMH, could pay $150 million in total to take over, according to Rolex blog site “ Coronet [[link removed]].”

Harvard ⬇ Former Crimson women’s hockey coach Katey Stone is suing the Ivy League institution for sex discrimination, alleging that the school forced her to resign after what she claims were false reports of her misconduct. Stone retired in June 2023 after 27 years of service amid reports [[link removed]] of mistreatment of her players that included hazing and sexualized traditions.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS AWARDS

Leading the Pack in College Athletics

College athletic programs across the country support our next generation of athletes. In the modern age, athletic departments are faced with several new challenges unchartered by their predecessors of the decades before.

Powered by Sports Innovation Lab, the Best Collegiate Athletic Departments Award recognizes the programs that, regardless of school size or resources, are a model to the rest of the collegiate athletic sector for how to innovate. Is your school leading the pack?

Submissions are open through Aug. 18. Submit your organization [[link removed]] today.

Conversation Starters Pierre Mauroy Stadium, home of Ligue 1 club Lille OSC, has been converted into a basketball venue for the Olympics. Check it out [[link removed]]. Coco Gauff will be the female flag bearer [[link removed]] for Team USA, joining LeBron James. At 20 years old, the tennis star is the youngest flag bearer in U.S. history. Pat McAfee is returning [[link removed]] to ESPN’s College GameDay. The former NFL punter will continue to balance the ESPN studio role with hosting The Pat McAfee Show and calling WWE’s Raw on Monday nights. Editors’ Picks Canada Soccer Analyst Admits to Spying on Opponent, Pleads Guilty to Flying Drone [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The women’s soccer tournament has a scandal before it starts. Jerry Jones’s Paternity Suit Suddenly Ends Before He Testifies [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The Cowboys owner was seeking legal fees over a 2022 lawsuit. TNT Launches an A-List Marketing Blitz to Save ‘Inside the NBA’ [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]The push has fans, players, and celebrities making noise. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]]

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